Penguin attraction: Byculla zoo's earnings sees 12-fold increase

Revenue of Veer Jijamata Udyan – popularly known as Byculla zoo - increased 12 times on monthly basis thanks to Humboldt Penguins brought from South Korea, reports Hindustan Times. The zoo authorities, who had hiked the entry fee after putting up the penguins on display, recorded earning up to Rs 70 lakh per month in the second half of 2017, equivalent to its annual income before the fee hike.

The zoo had put the penguins on display in March 2017. In following August, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) reportedly hiked the entry fees of zoo from Rs 5 an adult and Rs 2 a child to Rs 50 an adult and Rs 100 for a family of two adults and two children. The zoo also increased price of monthly pass issued to morning walkers from Rs 30 to Rs 150.

Dr Sanjay Tripathi, director of Byculla Zoo, shared the earnings with the paper. The official said that the fee was hiked in the middle of the year. In the earlier months, the zoo charged old nominal fee. This made it difficult for the zoo authorities to calculate the annual increase. However, the monthly income of the zoo has increased 12-fold. It now makes up more than Rs 70 lakh a month, which was equal to its annual revenue in previous years, he said.

The zoo brought the eight penguins to Mumbai from South Korea in July 2016. But soon, one of them reportedly died of a stomach and liver infection leaving.